Flash of blue

Joshua was on the left wing, when he spotted me making a run down the middle.
The ball was cut back, i got the ball and controlled it.
Brian was charging forward to defend the shot.
I took a step forward, pulled back my stick as i prepared to pull the trigger.
I swung my stick.
There was a flash of blue and, BOOM!!
The immediete reaction was stunned silence.

No, no.
I did not hit the ball, no one did.
My brother swung the stick and hit me in the eye.
What i want to know is how did the stick blade hit me in the eye?
Was i bent so low?
Because i don't think he committed a high stick.

Irregardless, it hurt like hell!
There i was on the floor, stunned.
I soon recovered enough to let out a string of explexitives to express my pain.
Here was the difference between 3 sets of brothers

Jeremy and Micah banged each other, and both immedietely said sorry.
Olivier and Casper's collision resulted in just Casper yelling "Olivier!"
But Brian and my collision had......
"Brian you $%#@!&^%&*@*^!*^%!(!(@^&^%@)##+_()&#"
You get the picture?

But the shittiest thing is that while placing the ice pack on it, i fell asleep.
When i woke up 10 mins later, it was numb as hell.

Well, at least my eye didnt swell.
I dont need my already crocked vision to be crocked even further.

Henry double sinks Pool.

Early this morning, Liverpool missed the chance to close the gap on 2nd place Man U as Theirry Henry scored two goals in the last ever match between Arsenal and Liverpool at highbury.

The Reds came to Highbury today looking to rid themselves of the gloom of getting knocked out of the Champions League and increase the likelihood of a top four finish. But they will have known to expect a tough task at a venue where they haven't won since a Titi Camara goal gave them a 1-0 win in 2000.

For all height of Crouch, the sheer pace of Cisse, the instinct of Fowler and the experience of Morientes, the Rafa assembled attack have scored only 5 goals this year.
Correction, only Crouch has scored this year, with the rest coming from midfielders or defenders.

In a bid to arrest this problem, Benitez used Garcia and Gerrard behind Crouch to provide the ammunition, with the Gerrard and Crouch partnership working well on certain occasions.

But despite the attacking talents of Liverpool, it was Arsenal which started the game better with just 8 minutes when gone Adebayor wasted an excellent chance created for him by Henry.

While Liverpool had Gerrard and Crouch as their main attacking duo, Arsenal's was Fabregas and Henry.
High hopes have been placed on young Fabregas' shoulders and in the 21st minute, he showed why.
The spanish prodigy showed his class by threading an inch perfect pass between 2 reds to his skipper the Frenchman scored a goal of the highest quality which now seem to be the norm rather than exception.

Despite the hammer blow, the Reds pressed on and Crouch missed a gilt edged chance as he headed wide after being picked out by Finnan's cross as Pool showed that creating chances was not the problem but converting them is.

Arsenal could have killed of the gaem early in the 2nd half but were unable to finish as Pool were so disoriented that Garcia and Gerrard even tackled each other.
But in the 75th minute, Gerrard took a hard swerving shot travelling at great pace which Lehman could only parry into the path of the onrushing Luis Garcia who gleefully headed it forward and made the net bulge as he sent the visitors into a frenzy.

But any hopes of a Liverpool victory were quashed as Alonso was controversially sent off.
Xabi seemed to slip and collided with Flamini, with referee Bennet choosing to show him a 2nd yellow card and sending him off.
The highbury pitch was extremely slippery, causing both sides to have players slipping on the turf.

The dismissal rocked Pool as Gerrard, usually the one creating chances, made a huge blunder of a backpass.
He underhit a backpass and seemed to play a through ball to Henry who gleefully tucked it away.
As soon as Gerrard made that pass, he knew the degree of his mistake as he immedietely placed his hands on his head.

With only six minutes remaining, Liverpool were unable to fashion an equalizer with only 10 men as Liverpool striker's scoring drought continued.

Well, at least Liverpool won't lose at Highbury again.
Afterall, this is the last year that Arsenal are playing at Highbury......

much ado about Agu

Anger and outrage.
Those are 2 of the strong feelings shared by most Singapore football fans over the recent Agu Casmir episode.

About a month ago, Agu, formally of the Young Lions returned into the open arms of the FAS and Woodlands Wellington, with most fans outraged at his behaviour.
While the officials seem to be standing by him, i like most other fans are refusing to do so.

In late 2005, Agu returned back from the SEA games having had a miserable tournament.
He was subsequently dropped from the national team for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers and released from his club.
Agu decided to try his luck abroad, signing for Indonesian club Persija Jakarta.
He also requested a signing on fee of US$20 000.

Upon doing so, he promptly took the money and fled without a word.
He had left his home in Singapore shared with fellow Nigerian Itimi Dickson.
His first stop was Russia where he claimed he was attending trials, before moving on to England and Canada.
But the trials never materialised and he promptly returned, with the money all gone.
His actions almost resulted in Persija launching a complaint with FIFA.

With his return, he is now contracted to Woodlands, with the FAS deciding to punish him for bringing the game into disrepute.
His punishment was a S$20 000 fine and a one year ban from the national team.
And regarding the signing on fee he took, his club has offered to absorb the debt and settle it for him.

But more juicy details have sinced emerged.
Apparently the FAS gave him S$50 000 to remain with the Young Lions after 2004's victorious Tiger Cup run where Agu finished as Singapore's top scorer and returned a national hero.

I feel this is a great injustice to many other players.
Members of the century cap club only get a one time payoff about maybe S$100 000, whereas here is Agu, after playing just a handful of games getting $50 000.

I feel he was let off too lightly.
I mean, a fine of S$20 000?
He took a signing on fee of US$20 000!
Moreover, he was also given that 50k signing on fee!
The US$20 000 he took from Persija was also covered by his new club.
No Sinagpore player has been given S$50 000 to play for the national team.
Yet when a foreigner was, he ran away with the money, biting the hand that fed him.
Further more the FAS are also continuing his subsidising like club salary and accomodation.

I also have words to say about his national team ban.
The ban would not hurt him that hard.
What commitments do the national team have this year besides the ongoing Asian Cup qualifiers?
And those are just qualifiers and not the actual tournament mind you.
Moreover, having left Singapore so eagerly, do you think he is really committed to playing for Singapore?
So in what way will the year long ban hurt him?

With this kind of punishments, the FAS seems to be sending out the wrong signal.
To me, Agu is looked up to by impressionable teenagers whom i believe seem to be getting the message that what Agu did was alright since he has talent in abundance.
With this kind of punishments, really, what signal are we sending out?